ESG and CSR are taking their toll on the workplace

SURVEY SAYS

CEOs are reeling from the political whiplash around environmental, social and governance principles. Turns out employees are buckling under the weight of companies’ corporate social impact work, too, according to a new survey.

Eighty-six percent of respondents in a survey released last week by the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals and YourCause from Blackbaud said that their CSI teams’ level of responsibility had grown over the past year. As a result, 61 percent of respondents said their teams were working longer hours and half of respondents said their teams were suffering from burnout.

Smaller percentages of respondents reported issues like mental health concerns, low morale and employee turnover. But two-thirds of respondents said they wanted more headcount, 54 percent said they wanted more financial resources, and 46 percent said they wanted more buy-in from executives.

Employers need to heed the warnings, the survey said.

“Company executives, sometimes not as well-versed in the specifics of CSR and ESG work, must understand these consequences, particularly in a tight labor market,” it said.

The survey also found ambivalence up

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues

   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • SDG 4: Quality Education
   • SDG 13: Climate Action

2. Specific Targets Based on the Article’s Content

   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

   • Level of responsibility of CSI teams
   • Working hours of CSI teams
   • Burnout among CSI teams
   • Mental health concerns
   • Low morale
   • Employee turnover
   • Desire for more headcount
   • Desire for more financial resources
   • Desire for more buy-in from executives
   • Commitment of executives to CSR and ESG
   • Understanding of executives regarding CSR and ESG
   • Corporate social priorities (environmental sustainability, K-12 education, food insecurity, climate justice, Covid-19)
   • Terminology preferences (corporate social responsibility, social impact, ESG)

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: politico.com

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.